CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN'S DRAFT TRADES
BRANDON AIYUK
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-0
205 pounds
22 years old
BIG PICTURE
A JUCO transfer who took the PAC 12 by storm, Brandon Aiyuk could be a useful piece for an NFL franchise as a rookie. Finished second in the conference in receiving yards last year with 1,192 and eight touchdowns. Also was a two-year threat in the return game. He plays mostly on the outside but has the shiftiness of a slot receiver, establishing himself as a massive yards-after-catch dynamo.
COMBINE NOTABLES
4.5 40-yard dash
11 bench reps (T-6th worst)
40-inch vertical (T-5th)
128-inch broad jump (T-6th)
VIKINGS COMPATIBILITY RANKING
4 out of 5. Aiyuk is quick and explosive. Though he may not have the contested catch ability of, say, a Michael Pittman Jr., his ability to separate and get yards after the catch would be appealing to the Vikings as a potential Stefon Diggs alternative.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: "Ascending receiving prospect who has shown continued improvement since coming from the JUCO ranks. Aiyuk has size, speed and is a natural pass-catcher who plays with good energy but he must improve physicality to handle contested catches. He can be slick and instinctive to separate out of stems and turns, but getting in and out of standard route breaks tends to limit his effectiveness. He needs more polish, but his ability to create yards after catch could get him some early reps while he's still developing. He has the potential to develop into a WR3."
Jordan Reid, Draft Network: "Brandon Aiyuk was a bit of an anticipated projection coming into the season. Stepping into the No. 1 receiving role for the Sun Devils, he lived up to what the coaching staff thought he could be after heavily recruiting him from the JUCO ranks. The positive aspect about Aiyuk is that every stop that he’s been on, he’s been able to get better while also dominating the competition. He demonstrated that same type of progress in high school, JUCO, and a similar type of path unfolded during his final season in Tempe. Now, entering the NFL, he’s once again forced with unlocking another layer to his development. An explosive option after the catch, but it’s everything before that where he needs to improve. Using his hands on releases, details in route stems, and at the top of his routes are where he must become better. Aiyuk projects as a top-40 pick that has a chance to be a productive target near the top of a receiving corps with time."
WHAT PFF SAYS
10.9 YAC per reception in 2019 (6th)
Caught just 3 of 14 contested targets in career
241 screen yards in 2019 (8th)
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
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